TechCrunch Hangzhou: 6 themes, 1 main stage

“If I have seen farther than others, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants.”

Newton’s quote also rings true for developments in technological innovation. China tech has in recent years made great progress from being a follower to becoming a leader in global future trends. TechCrunch International Innovation Summit has always been dedicated to connecting the brightest talents from China with those around the world, and to advancing innovation and entrepreneurship. After 8 summits, the main stage and side stages have proven to be a favorite among attendees, bringing together more than 60 top industry leaders to share in-depth insights with true tech enthusiasts.

Main stage: Top innovations on the frontline

The main stage of TechCrunch Hangzhou will feature top entrepreneurs, investors, and industry pioneers who will discuss future trends and share insights surrounding AI, e-commerce, smart devices, hardware and IoT, biomedicine, gaming and entertainment, intelligent transportation, enterprise services, internet security and various other industry hot topics.

How far can the sharing economy go?

Pain points give rise to more opportunities for sharing, which can be applied in many industries across education, medicine, supply chain, and more. The sharing economy has experienced a boom in China over the recent years, with many more emerging businesses racing to discover the next “big thing”. Empowered by the advancement of mobile technology, the sharing economy has been replacing many traditional business models that no longer serve in the market’s best interest. However, as the battles in bike-sharing slowly come to an end, will we also see an end to the sharing economy’s spot on the frontline?

Who’s leading the future of autonomous driving?

Autonomous vehicles are the future of cars, creating a deep impact in both the auto industry as well as the entire transportation sector. For most, when speaking of autonomous vehicles, Google is often the first to come to mind, with its revolutionary fully automatic and intelligent concept of self-driving cars, said to be secure and reliable almost like a mobile home. However, there are already many other big players in both the internet and traditional auto industry that are also exploring this area, such as BMW, JingChi, and BYD. Toyota, Volkswagon, and Bosch, the three auto industry giants, are also pushing forward. So, who will come out as the future leader of autonomous vehicles? And who can ensure the reliability and security of the technology? Find out at the TechCrunch Hangzhou Main Stage

Blockchain, a bright future?

Before 2050, 10% of the worldwide GDP is going to be stored on the blockchain. This is a prediction from the 2016 World Economic Forum. Blockchain is seen as a very promising and creative digital innovation worldwide, with its many advantages like decentralization, security, and the elimination of the need for a trusted third party. It can be broadly applied in finance, healthcare, public administration, and many other areas. As blockchain technology continues to develop, it is expected to grow from 1) where the implementation of distributed ledger technology (DLT) leads to its application in cryptocurrency, 2) where Ethereum blockchain allows the implementation of smart contracts, and finally to 3) where decentralized applications (dapps) are made possible. In order to seize the opportunities in this revolutionary yet risky game-changing technology, what are some steps to take and traps to avoid?

AI for “change” or “replacement”?

With the acceleration in building a “digital China”, there will be broader applications of AI technology and products in finance, education, transportation, security, and entertainment, and more and more interesting ideas will emerge. TechCrunch Hangzhou will focus on AI in the data visualization, security, machine learning, robotics, and pharmaceutical areas.

How big is the market for artificial perception in the age of IoT?

The World Wide Web (WWW) is reaching a turning point, and one of the most significant signs of this is the age of IoT. IoT is so much bigger than the internet—it not only connects people but also intelligent things across borders and institutions using big data. Xiaomi seems to have built the most successful IoT ecosystem in China, as it has invested and incubated more than 70 companies and generated revenues of more than $200 billion from its intelligent hardware. According to Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun, Xiaomi IoT plans to launch its IoT developer plan to the next stage, and expand to more industries in 2018. Currently, IoT is still in its early stages of development, and its products and business models are still being explored. Will Xiaomi continue to dominate the market? What are some challenges as IoT continues to develop?

New framework in new retail, how to play it right?

In recent years, developments in e-commerce and supply chain have challenged traditional retail in considerable ways. As traditional retail becomes less popular, “new retail” is taking on the responsibility to empower city development and advance people’s lives. Alibaba was the first to advocate for new retail in an announcement of its plan to integrate online and offline shopping. Other players have followed soon after, with varying degrees of success; it has been widely known that Walmart lost its online market to Amazon. How does a company like that turn things around and reclaim its competitive advantages? We are inviting these players on stage at TechCrunch Hangzhou to share their perspective on the new framework for the future of retail.

These are the six hot topics of TechCrunch Hangzhou. We will have over 100 industry leaders joining us on the main stage to share their insights from the frontline. This is an exciting time to explore the direction of future tech innovations, and sometimes only a lucky few are able to truly seize the opportunity.

There’s so much more waiting to be discovered, so come join us at TechCrunch Hangzhou!